Rahul Gandhi meets youngsters in Bangalore, seeks feedback on ways to empower Congress

Congress Party vice president Rahul Gandhi conducted a face-to-face interaction with youngsters here on Saturday, and sought feedback for his party's manifesto, as battle for the 2014 general election heats up.

Gandhi interacted with young students and entrepreneurs at the Palace Grounds in the heart of the city.

"Our DNA is about creation of harmony and is about creation of love that is what we do. So I think you will see at the end of all this that the party who will actually take you along whether you are Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, young, old, from Karnataka, from Kerala, from wherever, the party that will take you along is and will actually end up giving you solutions is the congress party," said Gandhi

Gandhi addressed around 100 students and Congress legislators to ensure that the youth were willing to participate in the election process itself as volunteers if not as contestants.

"Democracy is not going to go backwards. India is too big a country to be run by one person. We are going to accelerate democratization and I think that is the biggest opportunity for the Congress party because that is our DNA, that is our soul," said Gandhi.

Indian media often present the 2014 elections as a face-off between Rahul Gandhi, best known for his famous last name, and Narendra Modi, who has been lauded by Indian corporate leaders and foreign companies for his business-friendly policies in Gujarat.

BJP's strong showing in the recent polls in four states has boosted the momentum for Modi in the run-up to the national election due by April 2014.

But, at the same time the growing success and popularity of the fledgling Common Man Party (AAP) has compelled political bigwigs to consider it a serious opponent and to revamp their election agenda.